A RUSHING MIGHTY BREATH…

“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since HE GIVES TO ALL life, ¹BREATH, and all things.” (Acts 17:24-25) “…suddenly there came A SOUND from heaven, as of A RUSHING MIGHTY ¹WIND, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” (Acts 2:2) ¹pnoē: breath, breath of life, wind. These two verses in the Bible use the same Greek word to mean both breath and wind.  In Acts 2:2, the adjectives describing this wind are rushing and mighty, neither of which fit the use in Acts 17:25 which is a more gentle nature of God’s breath.

God gives man life and breath and everything else we need to live.  He also gives us the rushing mighty wind, powerfully filling us to overflowing.  The Holy Spirit gives us a life in Christ Jesus that goes so deep, so wide, so high.  The Holy Spirit breathes life INTO US so we are empowered to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just like He taught Ezekiel in the valley of “dry bones” He said, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Also He said to me, “Prophesy TO THE BREATH, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ‘ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and BREATH CAME INTO THEM, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an EXCEEDINGLY GREAT ARMY.” (Ezek. 37:9-10)

“…the manifestation (expression) of the Spirit is given to each one for the PROFIT OF ALL…But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing TO EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY as He wills.” (1 Corin. 12:7, 11)

-Bill Stockham